Rose Namajunas ‘Felt a Lot of Negative Energy’ from Joanna Jedrzejczyk in First Fight
Rose Namajunas’ first-round technical knockout of Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 217 was one of the biggest — if the biggest — surprises in mixed martial arts of 2017.
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The 25-year-old strawweight champion admitted as much during “UFC 1 on 1: Rose Namajunas .” The full interview premieres tonight on Fox Sports 1 at 7 p.m. ET. Namajunas and Jedrzejczyk will square off for a second time in the UFC 223 co-main event at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. on Saturday.
“We knew everything she was going to do before she did it,”
Namajunas said of the first bout. “I felt a lot of negative energy
coming from her. She’s just really mean. I wasn’t really worried
about that.”
A right hand over the top from Namajunas floored her Polish opponent in an initial exchange, and shortly thereafter, a left hook to the jaw put Jedrzejczyk away for good at the 3:03 mark of the first frame, ending a dominant title reign in shocking fashion.
“I saw the opening, but you’re on auto pilot in the moment,” Namajunas said. “Right before that, I was present in the moment.”
Namajunas has come a long way since her time on “The Ultimate Fighter 20,” when she was tabbed as a future star with Ronda Rousey potential due to her penchant for exciting finishes. That hype slowed considerably after Namajunas was worn down and submitted by Carla Esparza in a bout for the inaugural strawweight crown at the “TUF 20” finale in December 2014.
More than three years later, Namajunas has won five of her last six Octagon appearances and appears to be fulfilling the potential that was assigned to her. Looking back, the 25-year-old believes everything worked out for the best.
“I’m so glad I didn’t have the responsibility at that age,” Namajunas said. “It wasn’t the right time. Everyone has their time. My time is now.”
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